Semiautomatic fifth wheel construction



Feb. 18, 1936. c; E. DORSEY, JR

SEMIAUTOMATIC FIFTH WHEEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1935 amp/wow Feb. 18,1936. 7 Q E, DORSEVY, JR 2,031,256

SEMIAUTOMATIC FIFTH WHEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed March 28, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 W A50 ff 4% Elma whom Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNETED STATES PATET SEMIAUTOMATIC FIFTH WHEEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a semiautomatic fifth wheel construction.

It is generally aimed to provide a device of this character which will serve as a coupling or con- 5 nection between a draft vehicle and a trailer, and particularly to provide a construction whereby the latch will be automatically closed and fastened in closed position when the trailer backs to engage a king pin with the latch, comprising the spring associated with the latch, so that such spring will cause automatic opening of the latch upon release of the latch.

It is further aimed to provide a novel structure whereby road shocks are cushioned.

The more specific objects and advantages Will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation, primarily showing the improved fifth wheel construction, also fragmentarily showing the connection of the trailer;

Figure 2 is a view primarily in plan showing the improved fifth wheel construction, with a king pin of a trailing vehicle latched in position;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a. longitudinal sectional View through the parts of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the parts of Figure 1, being taken on the line 55 of said figure.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the improved fifth wheel construction is shown generally at It. The same comprises a body conveniently formed as a metallic casting of strong, though light, skeleton form, as shown, one end being bifurcated as at 2 to provide a flared entrance throat for the guidance of a king pin I4 into a journal portion I5.

Said king pin Iii is connected to a plate It which in turn is fastened to a trailing vehicle fragmentarily suggested at ll. Said king pin I4 is fastened in its closed position within the journal portion or socket l5 by means of a latch l8, pivoted to a portion It of the body I! by means of a vertical bolt or pin 20. Said latch i8 is operable in a horizontal plane and it is normally urged away from the socket i5 through the contractile action of a coilv spring 26 anchored at 22 to the body H and fastened at 23 to said latch l8. Said latch has an open socket portion 24 66 which fits substantially degrees about the king pin l4 and it also has opposite arms 25 and 26, the latter arm having a curved or cam edge at 21, and a straight end as at 28.

Said latch i8 is disposed between the top and bottom of the body H and it operates in a space 29, so that in the open position, as suggested in dotted lines in Figure 5, the arm 25 is practically completely located within the body II with the arm 25 disposed in the path of reception of the king pin I4.

A securing block 30 is adapted to be displaced by the engagement of cam surface 21 of the latch l8 therewith, as the latch moves to fastening position, and to thereupon extend across the end 28, as shown in full lines in Figure 5 to secure or fasten the latch 58 in king pin-securing position. Said latch 30 is slidable in a horizontal plane transversely of the body ii within housing 3! provided therein. A rod or handle 32 is fastened to the block 30 and extends slidably through a portion of the body H. A coil spring 33 surrounds the rod 32 within the housing 3 i abutting the block 3% at one end and the housing at the other end and serving to urge the lock 35 into the looking or full line position of Figure 5. Upon retracting or pulling the rod 32 outwardly the spring 2|, which is tensioned through the movement of the latch it to closed position, will urge such latch to the open or dotted line position shown in Figure 5, as the trailing vehicle moves 30 away from the drawing vehicle or vice versa.

It is clear that when the latch is in the dotted line position of Figure 5, upon the trailer backing, the king pin 14 carried thereby will move the latch into the closed or full line position of Fig- 35 ure 5 wherein it is automatically locked or secured by the block 30, which is moved outwardly by the engagement of surface 2? therewith, until the shoulder 28 passes the same. Spring 2! is tensioned through this movement of the latch, so 40 that upon subsequent release of the latch by retracting the rod 32 and block 35, said spring 2| will urge movement of the latch to the dotted line position of Figure 5.

Novel means are provided whereby the body H is secured to a drawing vehicle in a manner to absorb road shocks. To this end, a shaft or bar 34 is disposed transversely of the body i i in a loose manner. Fastened to such shaft 35 as by pins 35, are rectangular blocks 35 which are longitudinally slidable in boxes 31 forming integral parts of the body H, and open at their outer sides as shown. Said blocks have studs 33 thereon located within the boxes 3'! and the open sides of the latter permit the insertion of coil springs 39,

so as to surround the studs 38 and abut the blocks 36 and opposite ends of the boxes. Said springs 39 are expansive. Outwardly of the body I I, the ends of shaft 34 are disposed in sleeves 40 of brackets 4| attached to side beams 42 or otherwise to parts of the draft vehicle. It will be realized upon an obstruction being encountered on the road by the draft or trailing vehicle, that relative movement, cushioned by the springs 39, will take place between the shaft 34 and the body I I, guided by the sliding of the blocks 36 in the boxes 31. Said boxes are cut away as at 43 to accommodate the said movement of the shaft 34.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:-

1. A fifth wheel structure of the class described having a body provided with a socket to receive a king pin, a latch to secure the king pin to the body, means pivoting said latch to the body, said latch having an arm disposable in the path of engagement of the king pin with the socket, whereby the latch will be moved by the king pin to closed position, a spring connected to the latch and to the body urging opening movement of the latch, and a securing means for the latch automatically engageable therewith when the latch is in closed position, comprising a slide, spring means urging said slide into the path of opening movement of the latch, said latch having a second arm, said second arm having a cam surface engageable with said slide to displace the slide as the latch moves to latching position.

2. A fifth wheel structure of the class described having a body provided with a socket to receive a king pin, a latch to secure the king pin to the body, means pivoting said latch to the body, said latch having an arm disposable in the path of engagement of the king pin with the socket, whereby the latch will be moved by the king pin to closed position, a coil spring connected to the latch and to the body urging opening movement of the latch, and a securing means for the latch automatically engageable therewith when the latch is in closed position, comprising a slide, spring means urging said slide into the path of opening movement of the latch, and means operable manually to displace said slide, said body being of skeleton form and having a flared entrance throat to guide the king pin to said socket, said latch having a second arm, said second arm having a cam surface engageable with said slide to displace the slide as the latch moves to latching position.

CLAUDE E. DORSEY, JR. 

